Self adhesive clip and method



July 23, 1963 B. J. FRYE 3,098,272

SELF ADHESIVE CLIP AND METHOD Filed Nov. 17, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEE FJE-Sy INVENTOR. BRI/cz J' FR ys F1Y .`E I i Bvd/MM TronA/Ey:

July 23, 1963 B. J. FRYE 3,098,272

SELF ADHESIVE CLIP AND METHOD Filed Nov. 17, 1961 55 Sheets-Sheet 3 F155'. .2E F155. :b4d

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INVENTOR. ,6 46 BRI/cs .Z' F'Ry Arroz rs United States Patent Olice 3,098,272 Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,272 SELF ADHESEVE CLIP AND METHQD Bruce Frye, 1Sil6 Longview Drive, New Brighton, Minn. Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 152,990 Claims. (Cl. 2li- 67) This invention relates to a product forming a device to be used in connection with holding such display pieces as signs or posters in display position, such as in a window mounted position as on store Windows. This invention also relates to a method for forming said device. More specifically this invention relates -to a device for mounting signs or posters, as on windows, which in itself is reusable and which removably holds said signs or displays, and where upon the removal of said device no residue therefrom remains upon the supporting surface, such as upon the window surface.

Pressure sensitive adhesive tape, such as transparent tape, is commonly used for removably holding signs or displays, as in window mounted positions. There are many objections to the use of such tape. The removal of the tape leaves a residue upon the supporting surface and this residue must be removed as by washing. The tape itself is difficult to handle as it has a definite tendency to curl. lt is difficult to hold a sign with one hand and to remove a piece of adhesive tape from a holder with the other hand and apply it to the sign to mount it in position. If strips of tape are partially attached to a display or sign, the tape with its tendency to curl itself is rather difficult to handle. Further, pressure sensitive tape tends to lose its adhesive quality when moisture is present, such as results from the sweating of a window. Also when a display or sign is formed of paper, the surface thereon becomes damaged at the areas from which the holding strips of tape are removed.

It is desirable therefore and an object of this invention to provide a holding member for window mounted displays and signs, which member may be conveniently applied in operating position, may be removed from the mounting vsurface without leaving any residue, and which may be reused indefinitely with no lessening in the holdin-g quality of the member.

lt is another object of this invention to provide a holding member constructed and arranged to have an adhesive surface on one side for adhesion to a mounting surface, such as a window, and to have said adhesive surface relatively unaffected by the presence of moisture on said window, such as may result from sweating.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a holding member having a slot formed at one side thereof between portions thereof for having a non-adhesive frictional engagement of the display or sign within said slot and having the other side adapted for adhesive engagement with a mounting surface, such as a window.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel method for forming applicants device.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the apparatus and material on a reduced scale for forming applicants device;

FIGS. 2 4 are views in perspective showing specific steps in the method of forming applicants device;

FIG. 5 is a broken view as of a window showing applicants device in perspective in operating position;

FIG. 6 is a view in vertical section on an enlarged scale l taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5 as indicated Iby the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a perspective View showing applicants device on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is a composite view on an enlarged scale showing applicants device in side and front elevation; p

FIG. 9 is a View in side elevation of a modified form of applicants device;

FIG. l0 is an exploded view indicating additional steps embodied in the modification of applicants device;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 with the portions thereof in operating position;

FIG. l2 is a View in side elevation of applicants modified device; and

FIGS. 13 and 14 are views in side elevation of applicants device in operating position.

With reference to FIGS. 5-8, applicants device 10 forming a holding member or clip is shown.

Said clip 10 comprises a main body portion 12` formed of a flexible relatively soft sheet plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, having a polished back surface 13. A. chief characteristic of this material is that with a polished surface it will adhere to another polished surface, and more particularly it has particularly ,good adherence to a surface such as glass. Thus relative to a polished surface, and particularly to a glass surface, said back surface 13 forms a pressure sensitive adhesive surface. This adhesion is on the order of molecular adhesion. The plastic material used in practice has been found to be very satisfactory when on the order of .010 to .020l inch in thickness. Adhesion appears to be lbetter at the lower range of thickness.

The upper front surface of the body portion 12 is indicated by the reference character 141. As viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8, formed at the lower portion of said body portion 12 and integral with the lower front surface portion 14a thereof is the sign or display holding portion of applicants device indicated generally by the reference character 17.

Said portion 17 is substantially rigid and somewhat resilient in character and having non-adhesive surface portions. Said portion 17 has an offset relation with respect to said member 10 and comprises a forwardly extending bifurcated portion comprising an underlying portion 19 and spaced therefrom a partially overlying portion Z2. Formed between the facing surfaces of portions 19 and 22 is a slot 25. Said portion 22; is shown to be'somewhat shorter than said portion 19 whereby a lip portion is provided for an easy insertion of material into the slot 25. Said space 2S may -be of any desirable width with reference to the thickness of the material to be inserted in said slot. Generally material used for signs, as in stores, is on the order of .005 inch thick. Thus in practice it has been found very satisfactory to space said portions 19 and 22 apart on the order of .003 inch. Thus there is present adequate pressure on the material held to form the basis for `good gripping or frictional engagement. It is desirable for the opposing faces of portions 19 and 22 to be unpolished to form the basis of a more secure gripping engagement. The resilience of the portions 19 and 2.2 will provide a tendency @for said portions to maintain the normal interval of space therebetween and thus there is a constant urge of said portions against material therebetween having a thickness somewhat greater than said width of spacing. There is also the tendency to compress the material thus being held.

With reference to applicants holding member or clip 10, the applicant provides a unique and novel method for forming his device. Combined within the clip are portions having substantially diierent characteristics. The body portion 12 when its surface is polished has a characteristic Iof adhering to a polished surface. The applicant uses `a relatively inexpensive plastic material having an unpolished surface. The facing surfaces of portions 19 and ZZ have a non-adhesive characteristic whether polished or unpolishcd, and these por-tions are substantially rigid with a spring-like quality to grippingly or frictionally `grip and hold a sign or display therebetween. Thus the clip which is integral in form has an adhesive portion for adherence to a mounting surface, such as a store window 30, and has non-adhesive portions for frictional engagement with a sign or display 31 to be mounted. It is desirable to have a frictional or gripping engagement with the thing held rather than an adhesive engagement for easy insertion or removal of the material held.

rl'he applicant forms the product by means of the following method. Reference is had to FIGS. l-4. FIG. l is an exploded view showing the physical steps involved in carrying out the applicants method. The platens 100 and 101 represent opposing members of a conventional design of a press indicated merely by a broken portion relative to the platen 101 with the platens being used to apply heat under pressure on the plastic material loaded therebetween. The press with the platens being indicated is of conventional design and provides no novelty of itself.

Referring to the platen 100 or the lower of the platens, there is mounted thereon a pad 103 forming a cushion. This pad is formed on the order of a blotter. Overlyin-g said cushion is a polished plate 104. This is a thin plate with a highly polished surface which under pressure causes an engaged plastic surface to become polished. Overlying said polished plate is a sheet of flexible plastic material 105 on the order of polyvinyl chloride which has the characteristics of adhering to a polished surface with its polished surface. Polished polyvinyl chloride may be initially used, but the unpolished material is less expensive and becomes polished in the method carried out, as will be indicated.

As is apparent, the size of the sheet 105 is limited only by the size of the platen 100 used. As to the thickness of said sheet a thickness in the range of .010l to .020 inch has been found to provide very satisfactory results. The adhesive quality of the material is in direct relation to the degree that its surface is polished. Overlying said sheet 105 and in engagement therewith is a forming member 108. Said forming member is of unitary construction comprising a body portion 109 substantially rectangular in cross section having a longitudinal tongue portion 110 extending substantially centrally outwardly of one side thereof. Said tongue portion is substantially thinner than said body portion and forms the spacing member to form the slot 25. In the present embodiment of this invention a thickness on the order of .003 inch has been found to be satisfactory for said spacing member. Said tongue portion 110 is offset therefore from the upper and lower surfaces of said body portion 109 forming right-angled shoulders 110a and 110b therewith and forming an upper offset portion 112 and a lower offset portion 113. Said offset portion 113 is shown as having a greater width than said offset portion 112.

Positioned within said offset portion 111':` is a strip of rigid yet somewhat resilient plastic material 115, such as vinyl, having a somewhat `greater width than that of said offset portion to extend outwardly thereof. Said strip 115 lies directly in contact with said sheet 105. Disposed in said offset portion 112 is a similar vinyl strip 116 of somewhat greater width than that of said offset portion 112 and having its outer longitudinal edge portion overlying the outer longitudinal edge portion of said strip 115. Now with reference to FIG. 2, it is seen that said overlying rigid strips 115 and 116, although shown here as integral, form a raised portion overlying said sheet 105.

Abutting `the overlying extended end portion of strips 115 and 116 and overlying said sheet 105 in engagement therewith is a second forming member 114. The strip 115 in overlying sheet 105 is in engagement therewith. The strip 116 overlying the spacer 110 has its free edge portion aligned with and in contact with the -free edge portion of the strip 115.

Placed over the form 114 and the strip 116 is a second polished plate 120. Overlying said polished plate 120 is a second cushion 121. Thus there has been described the assembly of one complete set of portions for forming an elongated strip of applicants device as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. A plurality of such sets of parts may be stacked one upon the other. For the purpose of explanation here only what is indicated iu FIG. 1 will be referred to. The platen 101 will be lowered to exert a pressure of approximately 9,000 or 10,000 pounds per square inch. The platens which are of conventional design and equipped with heating coils will 4be caused to develop a temperature of approximately 365 to 375 F. The material used will have a heating point within this range. The heat and pressure indicated will be sustained for a period from nine to ten minutes. The heat is then cut off and the platens are chilled to permit the plastic material to set and this dwell time is approximately ten minutes.

The forming members 108 and 114 used have a substantially higher heating point than the temperature developed and is thus unaffected by the temperature developed. The pressure developed bears directly against the sheet from below and upon the strip 116 from above, and the heat developed bonds the overlying edge portion of the strip 116 to the underlying edge portion of the strip 115 sealing said edge portions together with a space therebetween being formed by the spacer portion 110. The rigid strip 115 directly overlying the flexible sheet 105 is bonded to said sheet by said heat and pressure. The adjacent form 114 abutting the edge portions of the strips 115 and 116 directly overlies the sheet 105 to press directly upon the portion of said sheet which will form the body portion 12 of said clip, and said pressure in connection with the polished plate 104 provides a polished outer or lower surface 13 of said clip 10. The character of the spacer may be varied as may be desired to form on the facing surfaces of said strips and 116 either a polished or an unpolished surface of some kind.

Referring to FIG. 2, applicants device is shown as a continuous strip as removed from the press but with the forming members 109 and 114 in position, and as indicated in FIG. 3, said forming members are shown removed. Referring to FIG. 4, said strip is shown with portion 14a trimmed and transverse cutting lines are indicated. The strip will be cut transversely by suitable means to form the individual clips 10. If it is not desired to provide the upper surface of the strip 116 with a polished finished, a plate of another character may be substituted `for the plate 120 to form whatever surface character may be desired.

Thus by bonding the rigid strip 115 with the flexible portion 105, applicants clip has a polished outer surface over the entire back portion of the clip forming an adhesive surface, and a non-adhesive surface is present on the facing portions of the rigid strips. Applicants device as formed is of integral or unitary construction.

Thus applicant provides in his clip a portion forming an entire side thereof having a pressure sensitive adhesive surface, with the gripping portion of the clip formed of a material of an entirely different character being non-adhesive yet having a rigid resilient character to grippingly engage material between the adjacent faces of the spaced portions of the strips 115 and 116, but which as a result of applicants method, become an integral portion of the clip. Hence there results an integral clip as if formed of a single piece of material yet having an adhesive characteristic at one side and a non-adhesive gripping portion at its other side.

The clipping portion 17 may be variously positioned relative to the clip. It has been found to be practical to hlve it face outwardly adjacent one end portion of said c p.

With reference to FIG. 9, a modified form of applicants device is shown indicated generally by the reference character 10 and in which portions identical to those of the device 1@ are indicated by like characters with a prime added. Hence the device 10 comprises a main body portion 12 having a backing portion 11 formed of a flexible relatively soft sheet of plastic material on the order of polyvinyl chloride and having a polished back surface 13. Said body portion 12 has a facing portion 15 of a substantially rigid yet somewhat resilient plastic material having a spring-like characteristic. Said facing portion overlies completely said backing portion. 'I'he outer surface of said facing portion has a non-adhesive characteristic. The addition of this rigid sheet represents the modification of applicants device, as set forth in the method steps of FIGS. 1-4.

A strip portion 17 of material like that of said facing portion 15 and of the same width overlies a portion thereof being integral therewith and having a portion 22 spaced from said portion 15 to `form therebetween an open-ended slot 25.

Thus said clip 10 in use forms a substantially rigid member in being placed in operating position as on the surface of a window and with a sheet of material being frictionally engaged within said slot 25 there is a lesser tendency for this clip to be pulled away from the mounting surface or from the window than has been found to be true in the case of the device 10. It is obvious that the portion 22 which forms an open-ended slot in connection with the rigid facing portion 15 may be positioned at -any desirable point in overlying said portion 15. IIn practice it has been found to be satisfactory to have the portion 22 somewhat centrally located longitudinally of the clip 10.

The method used for forming this clip is substantially the same as the method set forth in connection with forming the holding member 1G. The changes necessary to be made in the forming member in connection with the method above set forth are obvious changes and it is not believed necessary to set forth the specific steps in forming the holding member 1li',

With reference to FIGS. 10-14, a further modification of applicants device is shown. |Although the holding effect of applicants device in the embodiments above presented have been satisfactory in use, yet the applicant has found that with a somewhat more expensive type of construction a superior holding device may be formed. The embodiments above presented provide unusually good holding effect with reference to a straight pull or strain in the same direction as the plane of the holding surface of the device, but the holding effect could be irnproved as against strain at an angle away from the plane of the holding surface, such as in a pulling effect, as pulling the device away from the surface upon which it is mounted. Such a strain could be caused by the movement of the sign or display being held by the device, such as might be caused by a draft of air. The applicant presents a modification therefore which provides an unusually good holding effect as against any Itendency for drawing the device in a direction away from the holding surface.

In the description of the method in connection with this modification of applicants device, the same reference characters will be used for identical parts, as indicated in FIGS. l-3. Applicants modified method embodies the use of the press indicated in FIG. 1 with the cushions 103 and 121 and the polished plates 164 and 12d. Overlyin7 the plate 1134 is the sheet of liexible plastic material 105 and overlying the same is a rigid sheet 106 of plastic material. This step is in accordance with the device indicated in FIG. 9.

Next, overlying a central longitudinal portion of the sheet 106 is a -spacer strip 107 preferably of a thickness of .001 inch and having a substantially higher heating point than the adjacent material form-ing the device. Overlying said spacer lstrip 1117 and extending the full length of the sheet 106 is a sheet of plastic material 117. Said sheet 117 may be formed of a flexible or rigid sheet material as may be desired, although a rigid sheet has been found to give a somewhat more satisfactory result. Overlying a centra-l longitudinal portion of said Sheet 117 are the rigid strips and 116. As indicated, the strip 115 is somewhat wider than the strip 116, but it will be at its maximum length somewhat shorter in length than said spacer strip 107. The forming member 108 separates said strips 115 and 116 except for an overlying edge portion, and the remainder of said forming member 108 overlies the exposed portion of the strip 117 at the righthand side thereof, :as indicated in FIG. l0. The spacer strip 114 is positioned to ovcrlie the exposed portion of the strip 1.17 at the left-hand side thereof and to abut the overlying `edge portions of said strips 115 and 116. Thus the members 168, 116 and 114 form a coplanar upper surface.

The sa-rne treatment of heat and pressure is applied here .as described in connection with the first embodiment of applicants device presen-ted. Applicants device is initially in the form of :an elongated strip similar to what is shown in FIGS. 2-4 and the end view of said strip is shown in FIG. l1 with the forming members in position. FIG. l2 is intended to indicate the end View of an individual of applicants device after having been severed from :a strip such as the one shown in FIG. 4. Said individual device is indicated generally by the refe-rence character 35. With a method for forming applicants device having been indicated, the characterisitcs of applicants device as a unitary product are here set forth. The device 35 therefore comprises a flexible pressure sensitive adhesive surface portion 36, and overlying the same is an upper portion of a substantially rigid non-adhesive yet somewhat flexible portion 37. This is a unitary solid piece of material having one characteristic at one side thereof and a substantially different characteristic at the other side thereof. The rigid material is used to provi-de body for the device.

Centrally longitudinally of said portion 37 and extending transversely therethrough is a slot 39' which in effect forms -a flap portion 38 which is connected at either end. Aligned somewhat centrally above said slot 3% and unitary wit-h said fiap portion 38 is a substantially rigid yet somewhat flexible non-adhesive gripping or holding portion d@ having an open-ended slot 41 extending transversely therethrough and having an underlying portion 42; extending forwardly of the upper portion 43. Said portions i2 and 43 in effect form the jaws or the gripping portion of applicants device. Said portion 42. will be of a length which may extend just short of the length of said slot 39. Said slot 41 will have -a spacing preferably on the order of .003 inch. The dotted lines in FiG. l2 indicate generally the various portions described, which in applicants product have become bonded to form a unitary device so that to all lappearances there is no line of demarkation between .the various portions of applicants device having different characteristics.

Referring to FIGS. l2 and 13, applicants device 35 is shown in operating position. Said device may be first mounted on a surface, such as a window d6, and is secured merely by the use of finger pressure. The portion 40 in overlying the flap portion 38 is subject to some degree of movement without disturbing the surface 36 adhering to said window. Further any tension or strain placed on said device as a result of inserting a work piece i5 between the jaws #-12 and 43 is :at the central longitudinal portion of the device which is the most securely held portion of said device so far as being drawn in a direction away from the mounting surface is concerned. This is compared to the device 1d having the open end of the slot 25 adjacent the end of the device. Here a prying effect on the portion 22 in inserting a work piece tends tol lift up the adjacent end portion of the device away from the mounting surface. Once la small degree of separation is present, the holding effect of the device as a whole is substantially weakened. To this extent the structure of 7 the device 35 is substantially superior to the structures of both the devices 11i and 16".

Although said ilap portion has been indicated as being formed of substantially rigid material, it may well be formed of a flexible material whereby a somewhat greater degree of free movement or play is present in the flap portion 39 without disturbing the holding eiect of said Surface 36. To accomplish this, the layer of material 117 as indicated in the suggested method in connection with FIG. l() would be formed of exible material instead of with rigid material.

it will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the device and in the steps and sequence of steps of the method without departing from the scopeiof applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a method and device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, such `as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The method for forming a clip of the type described consisting of the steps of providing a strip of exible material having a pressure sensitive adhesive surface, overlying said strip with a strip of rigid somewhat resilient material, spacing an upper longitudinal portion of said second mentioned strip from `an underlying portion thereof by a removable spacer extending thereacross, overlying said longitudinal portion of said second strip with a pair of superposed substantially rigid plate members with the lower of said plate members extending forwardly of the upper plate member thereof, spacing an end portion of the upper of said plate members from said underlying plate member, heating `said overlying portions under pressure to bond the same together to form a unitary member and removing said removable spacer to form an open-ended slot beneath said plate member.

2. A device forming a clip of the type described comprising a body portion `formed as an elongated strip of material having one side thereof adhesive to a polished sur- 8 face, there being a slot substantially centrally longitudinally of said body portion extending transversely therethrough, and a substantially rigid somewhat resilient transversely bifurcated portion overlying the other side of said body portion and overlying a vertical extension of said slot forming an open ended slot.

3. A device forming a clip of the type described comprising a body portion formed as an elongated strip of material having one side thereof adhesive to a polished surface, there being a slot extending transversely through said body portion, and a substantially rigid somewhat resilient transversely bifurcated portion overlying the other side of said body portion and overlying a vertical extension of said slot and forming an open-ended slot.

4. A device forming a clip of the type described comprising a body portion formed as an elongated strip of material having one side thereof adhesive to a polished surface, there being a slot partially across said body portion extending therethrough and a substantially rigid member aligned with said slot having jaws and being carried by said body portion.

5. A ydevice forming a clip of the type described comprising a body portion formed as an elongated strip of ma- 'terial having one side thereof adhesive to a polished surface, there being a slot partially across said body portion extending therethrough, and means carried by said body portion aligned with said slot and comprising a jaw portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,777,435 Hogelund Oct. 7, 1930 2,142,194 Kartiol Jan. 3, 1939 2,898,257 Carver Aug. 4, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 193,866 Germany Jan. 4, 1908 278,233 Switzerland Ian. 3, 1952 698,584 Great Britain Oct, 21, 1953 

5. A DEVICE FORMING A CLIP OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING A BODY PORTION FORMED AS AN ELONGATED STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING ONE SIDE THEREOF ADHESIVE TO A POLISHED SURFACE, THERE BEING A SLOT PARTIALLY ACROSS SAID BODY PORTION EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY PORTION ALIGNED WITH SAID SLOT AND COMPRISING A JAW PORTION. 